Ashley, 82, pioneered a number of electronic and experimental approaches to musical composition, especially in opera. Each performance of "Lectures to Be Sung" draws from a pool of vocal pieces from Ashley's operas. Milwaukee native Tom Hamilton, Ashley's frequent collaborator, will assist him with the performance. | Nov. 6, 2012»Read Full Article

Wednesday, June 26

Something known: The Avett Brothers (7 p.m. Marcus Amphitheater). The Americana outfit went full-blown pop on last year's captivating "The Carpenter." It's the band's strongest album and the finest release of 2012. | June 26, 2013»Read Full Article

Summerfest is best utilized for catching acts on the way up, not just seeing established headliners. Among the most promising up-and-comers at this year's Big Gig is electronic dance artist Robert DeLong.

Milwaukee country artist and two-time Wisconsin Area Music Industry Rising Star Award winner (2012 and 2013) Nora Collins is supplementing an already busy summer performance schedule with 10 gigs at the Big Gig.

When she heads to the lakefront later this week, Collins will be bringing along a new album of acoustic tracks. “Only the Beginning” is the follow-up to Collins’ 2011 album, “Run Away With Me” (read my review of that album here) and features six original songs and four covers. | June 25, 2013»Read Full Blog Post

WITI-TV (Channel 6) is reporting that it is the top-rated station in the country for two syndicated shows in the post-news slot called late fringe: "Seinfeld" and "TMZ." | June 25, 2013»Read Full Blog Post(1)

We know you want to find the deals at Summerfest. That way you can enjoy, and afford, more of the fun it has to offer. Here's how to shimmy through the admission gates free of charge.

Unless other noted, all get-in-free deals will take place at the Mid-Gate promotions booth across the street from the Summerfest Mid-Gate at N. Harbor Drive and E. Chicago St. | June 25, 2013»Read Full Article

After a slow start to the growing season, strawberries are finally ripe for the picking at farms around Wisconsin. And that's just the beginning. There are sugar snap peas, raspberries, blueberries, cherries and more all coming into season as summer goes on.

Were you at Cedarburg Strawberry Festival or Lakefront Festival of Art this weekend? Did you take any photos at the Summer Soulstice Music Festival? Email your photos from any festivals, fairs or other community celebrations to festivals@jsnewsroom.com to be featured in our reader photo gallery.

For its 2013-'14 season, the Alverno Presents performance series plans to become even more eclectic and interdisciplinary than ever, with increased collaborations with local rock and indie musicians.

It also continues its transformation into an entity that commissions new work or, as Alverno Presents describes it in a media release, "curated events performed by a dynamic ensemble of Milwaukee and national artists." | June 25, 2013»Read Full Article

Below is video from last Friday's 6:30 p.m. WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) newscast from which someone - a viewer presumably - took a still photo "screen grab" to change the headline accompanying the video into a coarse and offensive slur and posted it on the internet.

Summerfest kicks off tomorrow and if you haven't scoped out the line-up and planned your schedule, we got you covered. Here are our picks and where we will be for Summerfest 2013. And if you see us out, say what's up. Although, it will probably be a little easier to find Bizzon.